Zenon Toprakcioglu

Protein-based Materials:

I work on utilising proteins as building blocks, in order to fabricate functional, biocompatible, materials suitable for biomedical applications. By taking advantage of the propensity of proteins to self-assemble into ordered structures, I have formed films and capsules which can be used for drug/gene delivery, as antimicrobial agents or for wound healing applications.

Protein Aggregation and Neurodegeneration:

I am also interested in another aspect of protein self-assembly; namely the role of protein misfolding as a cause of disease. It is known that certain proteins, that are ubiquitous in most mammals, can self-assemble into fibrillar aggregates which have a toxic effect towards cells and are associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. I am interested into how these diseases occur from a mechanistic viewpoint; i.e. how protein monomers can clump together (nucleate) and form oligomers and fibrils. I am particularly interested in how surfaces and interfaces can affect primary nucleation – the fundamental process behind all aggregation events – either by accelerating or by inhibiting its progress.